Mya Piper, four, died in swimming pool on holiday in Cyprus

Her mother, Lisa Piper, had been distracted by an urgent phone call from the UK

Holidaymakers tried desperately to save a four-year-old girl who walked past a safety fence and drowned in an adult pool while on a family break in Cyprus, an inquest has heard.

"Adorable" Mya Piper, from Darlington, died despite a Russian holidaymaker pulling her from the bottom of the 5ft (1.5m) deep hotel pool moments after she had been playing safely in a children's pool nearby.

Her mother, Lisa Piper, had been distracted by an "urgent" phone call from the UK about a court case in which she was an alleged victim, the inquest in Crook, County Durham, was told.

The owner of the Evalena Hotel in the resort of Pataras, Andreas Ttofinis, was charged with a safety offence, the inquest heard.

He was given a suspended prison sentence and his company was handed a 3,500 euro (£2,980) fine, following court proceedings in Cyprus, the hearing was told.

Mya drowned in June 2014 and Coroner Dr John Hamilton apologised to the family, explaining that there had been considerable difficulties in getting information from the Cypriot authorities.

In a statement read out at the hearing, Lisa Piper said she was on holiday with her sister, brother, father and stepmother as well as Mya and her younger son, arriving the day before the tragedy.

The family were spending the day by the pool, when she received a phone call about making a victim statement relating to a domestic incident which was due to be dealt with the following day, the court heard.

The coroner said: "Any person receiving that is to treat that call seriously and would give attention to it."

Ms Piper said the call lasted five minutes and she lost sight of Mya, who had been in the children's shallow pool.

She realised her daughter was missing during the call and ended it, then started to search for her, before seeing a woman pulling her daughter out of the adult pool.

The mother said: "I was in the water as well and that lady handed her to me.

"She was unconscious."

Russian holidaymaker Viacheslav Gordeen was on the hotel balcony when he spotted a girl at the bottom of the pool and shouted a warning to sunbathers around the pool, and a woman dived in.

"Someone turned the baby upside down and I saw water coming out of her mouth," his statement said.

Rescuer Oxana Kuzesh said in a statement that she heard the man shouting, adding: "I got up and jumped in the pool, the baby was at the bottom, there was nobody (else) in the water at the time."

An ambulance arrived within five minutes but Mya could not be saved.

The inquest heard that no lifeguards were on duty.

The children's pool was just over 3ft (1m) away from the adult pool, separated by a fence which people could simply walk around, the hearing was told.

Since then, the pool area has been redesigned so the shallow children's pool is further away from the adults' area.

Dr Hamilton said his conclusion was that "this was nothing other than a tragic accident".

He said: "It is every parent and grandparents' nightmare - you take your eye off them for a minute or two and they can be gone."

Ms Piper, a 40-year-old hairdresser, attended the inquest with her aunt, Gillian, and her father, Stephen.

The aunt paid tribute to Mya, saying: "She was the most adorable, beautiful little girl.

"There's not a second of any day that we do not think of her.

"She was beautiful inside and out.

"We want to take the opportunity to warn other parents to be vigilant around the poolside.

"You might think it cannot happen to you, we are the evidence that it can."